Dawn of the Dueling ‘Dead’ Sequels: ‘Army of Darkness 2′ Facing Off Against ‘Evil Dead 2′?

Movie Talk

Mark DemingMarch 11, 2013

Jane Levy in TriStar Pictures' 'Evil Dead' (2013)

No genre spawns more sequels and reboots than horror, but "The Evil Dead" could be taking things to a whole new -- and confusing -- level.

Only days after the much-anticipated remake had its world premiere at the South by Southwest Film festival in Austin, Texas, the screenwriters confirmed they are already hard at work on a sequel, almost a month before the movie opens wide.

In an interview with Bloody Disgusting, "Evil Dead" scripter Rodo Sayagues revealed that he's working on the next chapter of the story with director and co-writer Fede Alvarez. "We are in a very preliminary phase of that project, but yes we're working on it," Sayagues said. "And it's not gonna be a remake of the second 'Evil Dead.' It's going to directly follow this one and is going to be a whole different story."

"I think it's going to be more like the second half of this film," Sayagues added. "It's going to be more over the top. The escalation is going to continue." And when asked if Jane Levy's character Mia will be in for more abuse from evil spirits, Sayagues laughed, "Oh yes! A Lot more!" (We hope Levy's fans from her role on the popular sitcom "Suburgatory" won't be too traumatized by seeing her put through the wringer.)

While the "Evil Dead" reboot may be going to sequels soon, Sam Raimi has suggested the original series may not be over and done just yet. Raimi, whose "Oz the Great and Powerful" enjoyed an impressive $80 million opening last weekend, landed his big break in 1981 when his gritty but surreal low-budget thriller "The Evil Dead" became a cult favorite. While doing press for "Oz" last week, he let slip he may return to the series, 21 years after "Army of Darkness." "I would love to make 'Evil Dead 4,'" Raimi said. "My brother and I plan to work on the script this summer."

Rob Tapert, Raimi's long-time producer, showed some familiarity with the project when asked about it last week, saying it would pick up where "Army of Darkness" left off. "That would be 'Army of Darkness 2,'" Tapert said. "Everybody calls it 'Evil Dead 4,' but 'Army of Darkness' wasn't called 'Evil Dead' anywhere except by the fans."

And Bruce Campbell, who played Ash in all three original "Evil Dead" pictures and produced the new remake, seems game about the possibility of one more battle against the demons, though he's taking Raimi's words with a grain of salt.

"Sam threatens this every six months," Campbell said. "I've heard this a thousand times, because in the back of his mind, he never wants to let go, because he loved making these movies. We all loved making them together. They were a nightmare to make, very difficult, but they lasted the test of time, so he's not going to let that go, and I'm never going to say, 'No.' It'll be me in a walker fighting some other old guy. But that's what he does and who knows? It may happen."